Method of preparing roofing sheets



May 11 1926.

H. G. KELLY METRO-D10? PREPARING ROOFING SHEETS Filed July 2, 1924 Jfiny G- kel ly Patented May 11, 1926. v i

HARRY G. KELLY, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

METHOD OF PREPARING ROOFING SHEETS.

. Application filed July 2,

This invention relates to a method .of preparing roofing sheets by stamping, perforating, mutilating or incising' them to provide strips having ornamental borders; and in 6 order that the borders may beformed and that the sheets maybe thereafter rolled into a compact package for shipping, and that the sheets may be separated readily into strips after they have been delivered and un'-- rolled, and that theborders will not become injured or changed in outline while being separated, said sheets are incised only suilicient to provide a part of each border, and the parts between the incisions or apertures are perforated or otherwise mechanically weakened along the line, angle or curve that will complete the form of the edge or border desired.

The borders of these strips, when applied to roofs, will usually present the appearance of either standard or ornamental shingles, but .may be of any desired ornamental pattern, their outline or contour being perfect.

It is understood that roofing sheets have heretofore been incised to provide ornamental borders, and have been shipped or delivered in rolls, the incisions'leaving uncut portions therebetween, the objectionable feature of such constructions being that the uncut porportions, that the sheet, during the rough usage incidentto shipping, will not become separated into strips, and that after delivery and when separated into strips. the

outline for the borders will be imperfect,

because there is no assurance of accurate separation on the exact line desired, through the uncut portion.

By use of the herein described method the sheets will not become separated into strips during shipment, and while being torn apart or separated along the weakened lines, an-

- gles, or curves,

design, pattern,,outline or contour of the ornamental borders will be of the exact form .desired.

The invention consists of the novel and useful disposition, arrangement and combination of incisions, punches, perforations, apertures and mutilations in roofing sheets, and the mechanical weakening of said sheets between such incisions or apertures as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion, arrangement of *mutilations and tions must be of sufficient lengths or proready for use as strips, the

1924, Serial No. 723,821.

minor details may be made, as found to be of advantage, said changes being determined by the scope of the invention as claimed.

1n the drawing Fig. 1 is a lan view of a roll and part 0 an' incised ut undivided ,roofing sheet illustrating one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part of a roof and an arrangement of strips having the appearance of ornamental shingles, saidstrips being parts of the roofing sheet shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing means for incising, perforating or mutilating a roofing sheet.

It should be stated that for roofing sheets which have gone into extensive use, various kinds of material, singly and combined, have been employed in their manufacture, said sheets being fibrous, flexible, strong and of a quality impervious to moisture, and for the purpose of being shipped they have generally been rolled into compact form;- and in the practice of the present invention any of the roofing sheets mentioned may be used and may be prepared, as will now be described.

In the drawing I have shown a roll of roofing, indicated at 5, consisting of a-sheet having any suitable length and width. In Fig. 1 the roofing sheet consists of longitudinal sections indicated at A, B and C, respectively. The sections A and C have rectilinear edges respectively indicated at d and e. At f are indicated numerous incisions, disposed in alignment, adjacent to each other, providing parts :1: intermediate the ends of the incisions, said parts a: being perforated as indicated at 'v, said incisions and perforated parts being provided throughout the entire length ofthe sheet. Numerals 7 indicate triangular apertures which open on the incisions f, andat 8 are indicated slots which are disposed at right-angles to the incisions f and the line of perforations 'v and which open on the apertures 7 and it will be understood that after the package 5 s been unrolled, the section A may be separated from the section B, the perfor ions '0 permitting this separation since e sheet may be torn. in line with the incisions, the convergent walls of two adjacent apertures 7 providing two opposed, convergent walls 9 of a strip 9 shown'in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that, after a section A has been separated from the sheet shown in Fig. l,the incisions f and the parts therebetween, torn on the line of the perforations '0, will provide an edge which is approxiincisions k which are disposed in alignment incisions, perforations,

borders will be formed longitudinally of the sheet, portions 11 being provided, with perforations 2;, between the ends of said incisions, said perforations performing the same function as the perforations between the ends of incisions f first mentioned. Numerals 12 indicate opposed slots, these being disposed at right-angles to the incisions k and opening upon the apertures 10; and as described, two adjacent apertures 10 provide convergent walls for the section B which provide two, opposed, convergent walls m for the strip 13 shown in Fig. 2. Also any two adjacent apertures 10 provide convergent Wallsn for the section C which also provide two, opposed, convergent walls 22 for the strip 14 shown in Fig. 2., the

sections B and C being manually separated,

the portions 11 being torn on the line of its perforations o for this purpose.

While I have shown perforations r; in order that the sections A, B and C may be torn in a desired direction and on a desired line and to avoid an irregular and imperfect appearance, I may mutilate, score, stamp or otherwise weaken the fabric, but perforations are preferred.

It is obvious that a great variety in shapes of apertures as well as incisions may be employed' for the sheets, so that ornamental for the strips,.and I do not wish to be understood'as limitingmyself -to any kindof ornamentation, the important feature of the invention being that the parts between the ends of the incisions will be weakened by perforations or equivalent means which will permit the sheets to be rolled and shipped without acdidentalseparation and will prevent defacement or inury to the contour of the ornamental borders when the sheet is torn apart or sepa'-' rated into strips.-

Any suitable means may be provided for mcising, perforating or mutilating the sheets as ab have 19, adapted; to be actuated by any suitable means, the roller 18' being provided with blades or projections s engaging in grooves 14 of roller 19 to form at intervals any desired apertures or mutilations in said roofing sheets, required for the formation of strips with ornamental borders,

also recesses t therebetween provided with perforating or mutilating projections y to mechanically weaken the holder members m and 11, sothat they may be manually torn in the exact line, the form or contour of the strip desired.

ove mentioned, and for this purpose I shown a pair of co-acting rollers 18 and angle, or curve to. complete While I have shown anddescribed apertures, perforations and incisions in roofin sheets I do not wish to limit myself speci ically to these features, and stamping, punching or otherwise mutilating said sheets may be practiced as substitutes for actual incisions, perforations and apertures, the holder-elements w and 11, of-course, being employed and having such proportions as may be required for maintaining the sheets in connected condition, so that the product after being prepared may be shipped as rolls, without injury to the ornamental parts, and that a specific and approximately perfect Outline of the ornamental borders will be maintained when the sheet is separated into strips. In some instances strips or sections of greater width are required. than in others, and it is equal width and area, and ornamentation of siderable saving in labor. Also the rolls may have the same form-and appearance and may be shipped at the same expense as plain rolls of sheet roofing, and, as is obvious, the ornamental parts will be protected from injury while being shipped, this being a feature of great advantage.

I claim as my invention,

1. The herein described method of preparing sheets to be rolled into packages and when unrolled to'be separated into strips having ornamental borders, which consists in forming two lines of perforations in said sheet approximately equi-distant from its longitudinal edges to provide three sections approximately of equal-width, incising the sheet to form apertures providing uniform areas in two of the sections at opposed parts ofa perforated line, and incising said sheet to form apertures providing uniform areas in the remaining section at one side of the remaining perforated line, said last named apertures having the form of the apertures in the two sections firstnamed.

2. The herein described method of preparing sheets to be rolled into packages and when unrolled to be separated into strips having ornamental borders, which consists in incising the sheet tovprovide lines of apertures at uniform intervals longitudinally of the sheet, said apertures for each line being connected byincisions and perforations to provide a plurality of sections of approximately equal width and area.

fected by machinery and will effect a con- I In testimony whereof, I have'aflixed my 

